By Liam Reilly
@liampreilly852
With the Fall seasons coming to a close, awards for each sport were announced. Several Springfield College athletes received honors for their hard work and dedication. Here’s how each sport fared.
Football: For the third year in a row, Springfield College football claimed a NEWMAC championship and made it to the NCAA tournament. This feat earned head coach Mike Cerasuolo and his staff the NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year award. Cerasuolo earned the honor for the fourth time in his eight years as the head coach of the Pride.
In total, 15 players were named All-Conference, 11 of them first-team honors. Fullback Arsen Shtefan took home the 2022 NEWMAC offensive player of the year. Shtefan totaled 1,272 yards and found the end zone nine times.
The senior credited his offensive line and coaches.
“It means a lot, but I couldn’t have done it without my coaches and teammates,” Shtefan said. “Especially the Roach, I can’t thank them enough. The fullback room pushes me past my limits and anything I thought I couldn’t do. It’s a great achievement.”
Women’s Volleyball: The women’s volleyball team had a stellar season that saw the Pride finish undefeated in the NEWMAC, earn an NCAA tournament bid and win their first game. The team collected six American Volleyball Coaches Association honors. Riley Donahue was named to the AVCA All-America third team while Natalie Billet, Tori Colosimo, Ally Townsend and Maeve Voltz were AVCA All-America honorable mentions. Head coach Moira Long and her coaching staff won NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Donahue totaled 399 kills, 214 digs, and 4.36 points per set, earning her NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Athlete of the Year. To Donahue, the awards are the culmination of the team’s values.
“Knowing that there’s people on the bench and on the court next to me that can support me and push me to be the best player is what’s helped me get those awards,” Donahue said. “It’s my coaches that have helped me and my teammates that support me that has been what makes us as individuals and us as a team so successful.”
Men’s Soccer: The Pride also earned a NEWMAC playoff berth in 2023. Forward Chris Cruz, midfielder Maitoe Suppasuesangun and goalkeeper Noah Pote were featured on the NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team. Cruz also brought home a United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third Team honor after scoring four goals and totaling eight points.
“It’s an honor that I’m grateful for,” Cruz said. “It goes to show my hard work and dedication I have to the sport and to my team.”
Women’s Soccer: Head coach Kristin Cannon’s steam also advanced into the NEWMAC playoffs, making it to the semifinals after a shootout against Smith. Kaitlyn Suller and Meredith Healy proved that the sophomore slump is just a myth as they were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second and Third Team. The duo combined for seven goals and 22 points. Suller doesn’t see the honor as an individual award.
“We have to all work well as a team,” Suller said. “We got a lot closer together and they pushed me to be better.”
Field Hockey: A semi-finals appearance in the NEWMAC playoffs for the first time since 2019 led to two all-conference selections. First-year sensation Hailey Gaydos was named to NEWMAC All-Conference second team along with teammate Kaitlin Bardellini. Gaydos also was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All Region I Second Team. Gaydos led all NEWMAC first-years in goals, scoring 15 goals while adding an assist, and Bardellini tallied 16 goals and nine assists on the year for 41 points, the most in a season for Springfield since 2018.
Photo Courtesy of Springfield Athletics.